The present invention relates generally to a picture image recording apparatus for recording an image of an original on a recording sheet. More particularly, the invention relates to a picture image recording apparatus provided with a device capable of tightly winding exhausted recording medium.
A picture image recording apparatus has been known in which an elongated, web-like continuous recording medium on which a latent image is formed is brought into facial contact with a recording sheet to develop the latent image and provide a visible image on the recording sheet. With this type of picture image recording apparatus, that portion of the elongated recording medium which has undergone a developing process is sequentially wound up and collected by an elongated recording medium cartridge section for its easy disposal after usage. One of the conventional recording medium cartridge sections changes the torque of an electric motor which winds up the elongated recording medium in order to prevent a variation in take-up retention that may result from an increase in diameter of the wound recording medium.
The conventional picture image recording apparatus is provided with the recording medium cartridge section just for the purpose of easy disposal of the recording medium collected in the cartridge section. However, the cartridge section occupies a large space in the recording apparatus, thus resulting in enlargement of the overall apparatus.
With such a recording medium cartridge section designed to change the torque of the motor in order to compensate for the variation in take-up retention, if the elongated recording medium is wound under high tension by increased torque of the motor, the formation of a latent image and a development of the same cannot be performed precisely because feeding of the recording medium is required to be accurate in performing latent image formation and development. The above problem has remained unsolved in the conventional apparatuses.